l'appel du vide
by vanerz
Summary: Various short Fudou Akio oneshots, reposted from my old writing blog.
1. Sink

**Sink**

* * *

Fudou stirred, and froze. His throat tightened, and his lungs screamed, but instinct told him to hold his breath. He was hanging, suspended like a puppet, and it was so, so cold.

He forced his eyes open and shut them almost immediately afterwards. One hand, balled into a fist, reached up to rub at them furiously as his legs worked to gain some altitude and break into fresh air. Not that either of these actions helped. The submarine had gone too far, and taken him along with it.

Some kind of miracle had allowed him to hold his breath for so long. Eventually he couldn't help it. Screaming and kicking, he took a sharp breath.

Seawater rushed into his system. His limbs shook from the cold, but his throat and nose burned like fire. He retched, one, two, three times, naturally unable to tell between what came out and what was around him all over, pushing him down, suffocating him. It took all his energy to look up and endure the sting of the salt, and what was left of him immediately wished he hadn't: the light was fading further and further away.

He'd been stewing in his room after the match when he felt the floor rock, but had assumed it was just the school submerging again. The rush of water and the wailing flood siren soon followed, and by then it was way too late to know that something was wrong. Water rushed into his room in pillars, bursting through the windows, and he'd wrenched his door open in a panic. The current swept him through the corridor and straight into the wall. The next events were a blur, but he'd been lucky that he'd been swept out of the submarine somehow.

Though, apparently, not lucky enough.

Only barely aware of the shape swimming towards him, Fudou closed his eyes.

* * *

 **Notes:** These are old oneshots that I previously only posted on my writing tumblr (before I moved to another one). I will be uploading a couple more over the next few days!


	2. Untitled Prologue

**Fudou joins the Inazuma Caravan (Untitled Prologue)**

* * *

Everyone's in shock after Coach Hitomiko's announcement.

Kidou is the first to recover, his features visibly rearranging themselves to the grim scowl he puts on when he wants to be calm.

"Coach," he says, moderating his tone, "can we have a word outside, please?"

Hitomiko smirks. "If it'll make you happy, Kidou-kun."

She descends the caravan stairs, and he runs down them, uncaring of the impression he'll make. His feet have barely reached the ground when the words tumble from his mouth.

"You can't be serious, Coach."

"On the contrary." Hitomiko folds her arms and draws herself up. "I am quite serious."

"But you saw what he did to everyone! To Sakuma, to Genda, to Someoka!"

"Think, Kidou-kun," Hitomiko interrupts him. "My task is to create the strongest team out there, that will be able to defeat the aliens. What am I going to bet on, mere rumours of a star player, or someone I've actually seen play?"

"But he was working for Kageyama," Kidou presses.

"Was," Hitomiko said. "As you know, Kageyama Reiji disappeared with his submarine. His team made it out. Or rather, to put it bluntly, they were left behind."

Kidou swallows the words he wants to say and thinks. He can see the logic behind Coach's intentions. They're down a lot of members, with a gaping hole in the midfield after the departure of Kazemaru. And while Fubuki could switch to defence, he hasn't been looking good lately. And it isn't like she's going to give up on the chance of locating Gouenji either.

But why is the person she wants to recruit Fudou Akio?

"Coach? Kidou?"

They both turn at the sound of Endou's voice.

His captain's face is uncharacteristically grim, and Kidou can understand his feelings. He knows that all his friend wants to do right now is to zip towards Okinawa to see if the flame striker really is Gouenji instead of making a detour just to pick up one of their enemies.

"Yes, Endou-kun?"

"I just wanted to say that I'm behind what you do," Endou says with obvious difficulty. "If you think Fudou's a good addition to the team, I'll try my best to work with him. I'm sure everyone will too."

Hitomiko's face softens. "That's good to hear, Endou-kun. Thank you."

"Will we be headed to Ehime, then, to pick him up?" If Endou thinks it's for the best, then Kidou is willing to at least give it a try.

"No, I'm going to Tokyo to pick him up. Did you think that I'd make us all take a week-long detour right when you want to find Gouenji-kun?" Hitomiko smirks and Kidou turns, abashed, but he doesn't miss the brillance of Endou's grin.

"That's great! But will you be okay, Coach?"

"Do you need someone to accompany you?" Kidou asks.

Hitomiko stares at them for a moment, and, not for the first time, Kidou thinks that she, too, might be in a situation out of her own control. Then she smiles.

"That would be nice. Will you come with me, Kidou-kun?" The message behind Endou's omission is clear.

Kidou nods, wondering just what they have got themselves into. "Of course."

* * *

 **Notes:** I wrote this oneshot after playing a bit of _Inazuma Eleven 2_ and recruiting Fudou (and Takanashi) the first chance I got. Fudou's recruitment lines in that game are really good. REALLY good. Anyway, this eventually became _Redemption,_ but I must stress it's not _Redemption_ canon at all!


	3. Heal

**Heal**

* * *

The sands of time heal all wounds.

He's heard that saying many times, even thought he could believe it when Kageyama died and he set flowers at his gravestone. He'd sat there for at least an hour, just thinking. The marble had been cold under his thumb and he'd left with renewed optimism.

That moment all those months ago meant fuck-all now when he looked at the man who had the audacity to stand in front of them both.

"You think you can just come back grovelling on your hands and knees after all this time?"

Akio's voice is low and venomous. Hunched up, his father is a lot smaller than he remembers, and he stares straight into his eyes.

His father is the first to break the gaze. "Akio..."

"Save it," Akio interrupts. He doesn't move to take a seat next to his mum. He can't even believe that she had offered this man tea and cake. "Do you even know what we went through after you left? You don't know anything! We've just managed to pick ourselves back up. My scholarship covers my school fees. I've got a part-time job to help out. We don't need you coming in jobless and screwing everything all up."

His mother gives him an odd look, one that is not entirely reproachful. Her voice is strong. "You heard him. Please give Akio a bit more time."

When that man is gone, he's still seething. His mother stands, slowly stretching out her fingers, and he notices that her skirt is wrinkled and her hands are white.

His righteous fury turns to shock when his mother's face crumples.

"Akio, I know this is hard, but please..."

The sands of time do not heal at all.


End file.
